In swash plate rotor controls, the swash plate is mounted for simultaneous rotation on two gimbaled horizontal axes and has a third degree of freedom in the vertical direction. The vertical articulation of the swash plate results in changes in overall rotor-blade pitch regardless of the axial position of the blade. This pitch control is referred to in the art as collective pitch control or collective control. Orientation control of the swash plate combined with its freedom to rotate on its two gimbaled axes induces cyclic changes in the rotor-blade pitch as the blade sweeps through 360.degree. of axial rotation. This pitch control is referred to in the art as cyclic pitch control or cyclic control.
Collective pitch controls the amount of thrust produced by the rotor and cyclic pitch induces changes in the plane of rotation of the rotor about the longitudinal and lateral axes of the helicopter airframe to provide translational control.
Heretofore, these two basic functions have been isolated into two separate lever controls utilized by the aviator, namely, the collective and cyclic controls. In order to maintain the velocity vector of a helicopter in various modes of helicopter flight, there are encountered situations that require coordinated and simultaneous movement of the collective and cyclic controls. This requires the use of both hands by the pilot and thus defines a long standing problem in the art.
If only one hand is needed by a helicopter pilot to effect both collective and cyclic controls, the difficulty of overall flight task accomplishment would be measurably reduced and would be of invaluable assistance in maintaining continuous flight should the pilot be injured, for example, under battle conditions in military applications.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a new and novel flight control means for helicopters capable of effecting in a single control means both the cyclic and collective control functions in a swash plate controlled rotor system.
Another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel flight control means for helicopters capable of effecting in a single control means both the cyclic and collective control functions in a swash plate controlled rotor system and of simplified operation; and in which only one hand of the pilot is required to effect such control functions in any mode of helicopter flight.
These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent with reference to the following specification and drawings which relate to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.